After a three month gap, we have M. Joel Gatti (Director of Housing Operations at SMU) back on the show. This time around we are cruising the ACUHO-I community message boards for topics to discuss and banter about. Those topics include:

• Mid-semester room cleaning, preparation, and handling abandoned property;
• Requiring staff to be trained to administer CPR and Narcan, plus the logistics behind such emergency response expectations.
• "Valet" laundry and trash services.
• The professional value of participating in and/or observing niche conversations about specialized topics outside your expertise.

It's a wide range of topics you certainly don't want to miss.

When recording this episode, there was simply too much to cover so please excuse the discontinuity between the intro and the topic for the month. We had such an expansive conversation with Dr. Reba Sims (Texas A&M-San Antonio) that the recording was divided into two episodes. This month we are covering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion... and the Texas Legislature, specifically SB17. Reba talks about immediate impact before getting into long-term implications that stem from the inevitable confusion with vaguely worded legislation. She talks about how individual interactions ultimately determine an institution's culture, often more than programmatic efforts do. We talk about how systems are cyclical and are designed to replicate themselves leaving us no road map to toppling them, but we throw out some ideas anyway.

This is an episode you really don't want to miss. And don't worry! Dr. Reba Sims will be back on the show in the very near future with Part II of her original recording to talk about Professional Development! 

Be sure to connect with Dr. Reba Sims on LinkedIn and thank her for coming on the show!

This month we are using the book "Friend of a Friend: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Career" to talk about network science. In this episode we define the various ties in your network: strong, weak, and dormant ties, revealing the value of each. We cover out of the blue recommendation letters or reference checks, how to see your whole network, being a network broker, and the concept of homophily and how it impacts your network. There are plenty of tangible takeaways to put into practice that only take a few minutes to help keep your network alive. Get ready to scroll to the bottom of your text message list to see some dormant ties just waiting to be reactivated!

Be sure to reach out to our guests and thank them for coming on the show!

• Dillon Linder
• Shawn Garrett, Garrett PLLC

This episode features Molly Albart, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at UT Arlington. Molly talks about moving up and moving out of housing into an AVP role that, interestingly enough, does not include housing in her current portfolio. We talk about the transferrable skills housing experience provides when considering to make a move into other areas of student affairs. We then tackle community development and programming models, with some very candid observations and feedback about the practicality of their purpose and success. We then talk assessment and geek out on some very practical Excel skills anyone looking to provide value in their department should immediately start practicing. And since Molly is responsible for her division's annual report, we ask her to rank the value of individual contributions in an annual report. This episode covers a wide range of topics, but is filled with tangible action you can take in your job.

This month we are joined by Don Yackley, fresh off his tenure as President of SWACUHO. This is probably the most organic interview we have had thus far on the podcast, with topics ranging from stupid questions to imposter syndrome to having situational awareness. Most all of these topics weave in and around the actual topic at hand: professional involvement. Don gives us his observations on whether people are too busy to get involved, managing and changing priorities, and ghosting committees. The bottom line is this: raise your hand to do something, then show up to do it, then do it!

Seeking professional advice? Fill out this anonymous form and a panel of housing staff will give you their take on your situation on an upcoming podcast.

This month is our second round of asking the most important questions of all: your questions! That's right, our panel today is responding to listener questions. Coming back on the show is Adonis Thompson, Maggie Guzman, and Ken Stoner who give advice and some tough love to the following questions:

• Should you look to leave your job when you don't really like your supervisor but love your departmental leadership?
• Is there a way to get out of being required to move halls after two years of employment?
• What to do if you always feel out of the loop?
• How do you respond if your staff always complains and never feels your efforts to advocate on their behalf is good enough?

Download the Reflection Guide! (forthcoming) - If you put anything into action from the Podcast, please consider sharing it via [email protected] and you may get featured on an upcoming episode. Serve your region by coming up with reflection questions for this episode. Submit them to [email protected] and you'll get your name on the reflection guide for everyone to see your contribution!

Seeking professional advice? Fill out this anonymous form and a panel of housing staff will give you their take on your situation on an upcoming podcast.

Guests Past Episodes:
009 - Reflections from a Black President | Adonis Thompson [SWACUHO Podcast]
010 - Read, File, Delete, or Ignore? Email Management | Monique Burkley and Maggie Guzman [SWACUHO Podcast]
015 - Reflections on Coming Full Circle | Ken Stoner [SWACUHO Podcast]

Other Past Episodes Mentioned:
001 - Reflections on a Single Institution Career | Kent Sampson [SWACUHO Podcast]
003 - Resident Assistant Hiring Practices | Craig Seager [SWACUHO Podcast]
002 - Meaningful Moments in Campus Housing | Apefa Cooper and Maddie Reid [SWACUHO Podcast]

Although it is only March, our three guests today have already been hard at work planning for the summer make-ready season. Those rooms don't magically get perfect before August move-in, but rather take lots of time, planning, and resource management. Our guests today walk us through systems, checklists, and all the moving parts related to summer turn. While doing so, they also highlight the transferrable skills from other functional areas that can scale up to coordinating the summer from a maintenance and facilities perspective. We spend time talking about how every room is the chance for a first impression, the little things that can easily get missed but can cause undue strife down the road. There is plenty to hear in this episode, even for our non-facilities colleagues. 

Download the Reflection Guide! (forthcoming) - If you put anything into action from the Podcast, please consider sharing it via [email protected] and you may get featured on an upcoming episode.

Seeking professional advice? Fill out this anonymous form and a panel of housing staff will give you their take on your situation on an upcoming podcast.

Other Episodes Mentioned:
004 - Preventative Maintenance: Solving Problems Before They Are Problems | Drew Jahr, Katy Pelton, Miles Oller [SWACUHO Podcast]

CORRECT EPISODE NOW UPLOADED!

The annual conference is right around the corner, and to lead up to the big event, this episode was put together by SWACUHO's Exhibits and Displays Committee. In this episode, Trey Stoermer, Norma Ramirez, and Felisha Perrodin break down the exhibit hall at conferences and hone in on how it is more a place to build and foster relationships, which sometimes happen to result in business transactions later on. For many professionals without purchasing power, the exhibit hall can be overwhelming or may seem like a waste of time... but it is far from that. This episode is ripe with commentary on the importance of building relationships, even if they aren't expected to have an immediate return on investment. We provide questions to ask corporate partners and towards the end the host attempts a failed experiment about the value of network diversity that probably should have been left on the cutting room floor.

Download the Reflection Guide! (forthcoming) - If you put anything into action from the Podcast, please consider sharing it via [email protected] and you may get featured on an upcoming episode.


Seeking professional advice? Fill out this anonymous form and a panel of housing staff will give you their take on your situation on an upcoming podcast.

The annual conference is right around the corner, and to lead up to the big event, this episode was put together by SWACUHO's Exhibits and Displays Committee. In this episode, Trey Stoermer, Norma Ramirez, and Felisha Perrodin break down the exhibit hall at conferences and hone in on how it is more a place to build and foster relationships, which sometimes happen to result in business transaction later on. For many professionals without purchasing power, the exhibit hall can be overwhelming or even a waste of time... but it is far from that. This episode is ripe with commentary on the importance of building relationships, even if they aren't expected to have an immediate return on investment. We provide questions to ask corporate partners, and towards the end the host attempts a failed experiment about the value of network diversity that probably should have been left on the cutting room floor.

Download the Reflection Guide! (forthcoming) - If you put anything into action from the Podcast, please consider sharing it via [email protected] and you may get featured on an upcoming episode.


Seeking professional advice? Fill out this anonymous form and a panel of housing staff will give you their take on your situation on an upcoming podcast.

We start the New Year off with Tanya Massey, who about six months ago began her new role as the Senior Managing Director for University Student Housing at Texas Tech University. To mark her first-time accession to the SHO role, Tanya shares going through the candidate process, the experience of sitting in the "big kid chair".  While this episode will certainly be beneficial to our region's mid-level professionals, professionals of all levels will benefit from Tanya's nuggets of insight demonstrating how all things are scalable between position levels.


Download the Reflection Guide! (forthcoming) - If you put anything into action from the Podcast, please consider sharing it via [email protected] and you may get featured on an upcoming episode.


Seeking professional advice? Fill out this anonymous form and a panel of housing staff will give you their take on your situation on an upcoming podcast.


Resources Mentioned:
005 - Reflections on Professional Families [Podcast Episode]
015 - Reflections on the New Professional Experience [Podcast Episode]